State of Emergency On Maternal, Infant Morality: Enugu Govt Lauds Leading Step By Go-Uni TH
Enugu state Government has decried high rate of maternal and infant mortalities in the country, commending the establishment of the Maternal and child unit of the Godfrey Okoye University Teaching Hospital, Trans Ekulu, Enugu.
Commissioner for Gender and Children Affairs, Hon. Mrs Ngozi Eni, made that known, on Friday, during the official commissioning of Mother and Child unit complex of the Godfrey Okoye University Teaching Hospital, Trans Ekulu,Enugu.
Mrs Eni said, “Enugu state government under whose jurisdiction the hospital is situated and under the dynamic leadership of His Excellency, Dr Barr Peter Mbah the Governor and through the Ministry of Gender and Women Affairs shall support the Mother and Child unit of the teaching hospital”.
She noted that the complex was designed to provide one stop service for pregnant mothers and their children.
Eni commended the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Dr CVC Onaga for upgrading Ntasiobi hospital to a teaching hospital. She also thanked the Vice Chancellor of Godfrey Okoye University, Rev. Fr Prof. Christian Anieke for rising up to the challenge of transitioning the Ntasiobi hospital to a teaching hospital. 
Mrs Ngozi Eni
Commissioner for Gender & Children Affairs, Enugu State
She lamented low rating of the Nigeria’s health sector, saying, “Our national health ranking continues to be below average. Health and Health Systems Ranking of Countries Worldwide in 2023, ranked Nigeria at 157th position, a step behind Equatorial Guinea and a step ahead of Angola.
“The health index score was calculated by evaluating various indicators that assess the health of the population, and access to the services required to sustain good health, including health outcomes, health systems, sickness and risk factors, and mortality rates.
“Our national Maternal and infant mortalities remain high in comparison with countries with same endowment. The differences between countries often reflect inequalities in healthcare services and access”, she said .
The Commissioner observed that
most causes of maternal mortality are preventable and treatable with the most common causes including severe bleeding, infections, complications during delivery, high blood pressure during pregnancy.
She said “child mortality, which is often referred to as infant mortality, is the death of children younger than five. Among the main causes are pneumonia, diarrhea which causes dehydration and infections in newborns, with malnutrition also posing a severe problem”.
According to her, mother and child care is a major plank of global health indicator and strikes a sympathetic chord of her ministry.
“Women and children remain the most vulnerable in any adverse events war, famine, dysfunctional healthcare etc. I am therefore pleased to note that Godfrey Okoye University Teaching Hospital is putting the right and stable foot forward by considering this vulnerable group first in her service and infrastructural development.
“The hospital is strategically located and can be accessed from every corner of the state and beyond. And being a faith- based institution one can be assured of holistic care; quality uninterrupted services not encumbered by industrial strike”, she said.
The Commissioner urged the management to maintain the highest standard of care and to always apply the best practices, ensuring that members of staff are humane and compassionate in their services to the sick.
To the mothers, she urged them to avail themselves of the opportunity the teaching hospital provided to receive quality healthcare services .
In his speech, the Honorary Chief Medical Director of the institution, Professor Cajetan Nwadinigwe, said GO-University is the first Faith-Based private University in the south East ,Nigeria to establish a medical school.
He said the idea to spotlight mother and child health care was predicated on poor national health indicators- maternal and infant mortalities.
” The current National Demographic and Health Survey of 2018/2019 puts our national maternal mortality rate at 451 deaths per 100,000 live births and under five mortality rate, 132 deaths per 1000 live births. GO University administration believes that 95% of health conditions contributing to these poor indicators are treatable and preventable”, he said.
The CMD disclosed that the teaching hospital had attracted and retained critical manpower at consultant cadre on part -time basis to run various clinical departments . The clinical departments he said, are Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry( mental health)Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Plastic surgery, ENT, Anaesthesia, among others
He added that they needed befitting accident and emergency unit and blocks of hostels. He appealed to companies, individuals to support the teaching hospital.
“The hospital is gradually gaining traction. Our clinic visits have crossed 1000 visits per month and over one quatre of which are new patients registering for the first time . We have opened blood banking services in the hospital”, the CMD explained.
He added that the hospital was designed “to provide a one stop health services for pregnant mothers and their infants.
“The complex has thirty six bed spaces, theater, Intensive Care Unit, new born special care unit, en suite wards among others”.
The Honorary CMD thanked the Bishop of the Enugu Catholic Diocese, His Lordship,Most Rev CVC Onaga, Fr Vice Chancellor, Prof. Anieke, and all those who contributed to the establishment of the teaching hospital.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Godfrey Okoye University, Rev Fr Prof. Christian Anieke, said the hospital is a Diocesean contribution to GO- University. He expressed the confidence that the Ministry of Gender and Children Affairs, the Catholic Women Organisation, others will support the hospital.
Goodwill messages were presented by the Provost ,College of Medicine, GO-Uni teaching hospital, Prof Frank Akpuaka, the Vice Chancellor of Enugu state University of Science and Technology, Prof. Michael Okorie, Rev Fr Dr Matthew Nwafor, Chairman Enugu East Local Government area, Hon Livinus Anike, Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Philips Nnamani, the Director, Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) Enugu Diocese, Ezinne Juliet Ani,and the Founder/ President General Umuada Igbo, Lolo Kate Ezeofor.
Health talks on Cervical cancer screening and prevention was presented by Associate Prof. Umeh Uchenna, Breast cancer screening by Dr Celestine Nnamani and Dr Cordelia Ndubuka.
There was also presentation of welcome song by the Students.
Ntasi Obi Ndi No N’Afufu Specialist Hospital( now Godfrey Okoye University Teaching Hospital, Enugu has been the biggest institution owned by the Catholic Diocese of Enugu in which Rev. Prof. Obiora Ike played a major role in its establishment.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, while he is presently on his M.Sc programme also in Mass Communication, at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is currently the NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
